


Cats and Misanthropes

by CluelessBelarus



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cats, Gen, M/M, Misanthrope, animal lovers, cat lady - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-16 20:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1360981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CluelessBelarus/pseuds/CluelessBelarus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi is your typical misanthrope who swears he isn't a crazy cat lady. People just dump cats near his apartment, so he has no choice but to rescue them. One night a cat gets hit by a car, and Levi meets a very special veterinarian. <br/>*Basically just Levi taking care of kitties and ranting about how people are shitty*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ah, I know I'm sorry I need to update my moulin rouge! au. I promise, I will. I just got super busy, and then this little idea took over my brain. I just really wanted to write a cat-lover Levi! Sorry if he seems ooc or anything. I haven't edited this really, so there will probably be some minor grammatical errors. I'm not sure whether or not I want this to be a multi-chapter piece or just a one-shot, so please comment and let me know what you think. ^^

It happened about two years ago on Christmas Eve. Some shithead dumped a litter of kittens right in the alleyway near the local grocery store. I had been headed there to buy some last minute coffee, but upon discovering the pitiful, mewling box, I had returned to my apartment with kitten formula, pee pads, and three new responsibilities. But of course, I forgot the fucking coffee.

I cared for those kittens for about a month before I finally managed to manipulate my subordinates at work to take them in. Petra had been more than happy to provide a home for two of the felines, but Auruo had taken more convincing. Only after I mentioned that Petra preferred men who liked animals did he finally agree. Turns out I’m a fucking matchmaker, because now the two are happily engaged. Petra never stops talking about the play-dates they have with their cats. What the fuck.

Anyways, word must have gotten around that apparently I’m some sort of saint, because for the past two years all sorts of assholes have been abandoning their cats and kittens near my apartment complex. People are all disgusting bastards. They are too lazy and incompetent to take care of their goddamn pets, so the think that thrusting the responsibility onto me is a fucking dandy idea. This is what I get for not being a trashy piece of shit, unlike the rest of my species.

But you know what the shittiest part is? These cats and kittens are the biggest source of mess and dirt I have ever dealt with. I’ve had to replace the drapes multiple times and have even gone as far as putting plastic covers on my furniture, and that shit is tacky as fuck. It’s fucking embarrassing, but after spending two hours cleaning off the fur and stains I decided it was for the best. Even when there aren’t any cats in the apartment I still keep emergency scratching posts, litter boxes, cat beds, and toys. I never know when a new meowing box will show up magically at my door.

Now, my reputation hasn’t remained out of harm’s way. Nope, not at all. Some of my neighbors go out of their way to make the most ridiculous, illogical complaints. They accuse me of being an animal hoarder. The old hag next door always has to throw some sort of shade at me every opportunity she gets. Some days she’ll say the cats are making a ruckus. Others she whines about my apartment smelling bad. I hope her ass gets sent to the nursing home soon.

First of all, just to clarify, I do not have and never have had a madhouse of cats. The most I have ever had at a time was seven, and that’s because one of the cats gave birth to a litter of kittens soon after he took her in. I had only kept them for about a month until I at last found them good homes. I never kept cats for longer than two months anyways because I was always able to push them onto friends, family, and coworkers. As for noise, cats in general were quiet creatures unless they knocked something over, and I had quickly learned to hide any loose objects.

But what angered me most were the filth and smell accusations that the witch next door taunted me with. Excuse you, but my apartment is immaculate, even with all of the cats. As a clean-freak I am proud to say that there are no stains and the only scent is that of Febreeze. The fucking hag. Who was she to make such allegations when she had never even been inside my apartment? None of my neighbors besides the landlord had ever been inside either for that matter, except the landlord and he had never complained. He had learned a while ago to ignore the false complaints. Why the hell did everyone kick up such a fuss about it anyways? Fucking people.

As for my workplace, the damage is just as bad; maybe worse. I work as a marketing director (shocking, I know) for the company Eco-Legion, which sells environmentally-friendly products. For my job I am in charge of all of the advertising and public relations. Numerous times my shitty subordinates have suggested that we use kittens in our ads, and each time they have been met with a prompt “Fuck you.” Unfortunately, my boss, Hanji Zoe, overheard them and now is trying to force me to go along with the idea. I don’t know how I can get out of this one.

But that’s not the worst part. The most devastating aspect of the entire situation is now that everyone knows my heart isn’t made of stone, I’m no longer as intimidating as before. Subordinates actually have the nerve to address me informally or even talk back, as if I am on their level. My hard-earned reputation as the demon boss has crumbled. Fuck that I spent years building up that intimidating image after years of being bullied in school for having a short-stature. But now, that is all gone. Now, I’m associated with kittens and happiness, all because I’m a decent human being.

Now let’s take a look at the situation at hand. I was walking down the street to that same grocery store like I usually did. Suddenly, I heard a commotion and a loud thud. A car whizzed by quickly, and I noticed a couple people gathered around something from where the car had just been. Naturally, I got curious and went to see for myself. I’m only human, after all.

What I saw, however, was heartbreaking. A small, ginger form lay curled up on the side of the road, scarlet blood matting the soft fur. Anger welled up in my chest. The fucking bastard hadn’t even stopped the car. People around me whispered for a bit and went their own ways, not even bothering to check on the animal. Fuck them too. At first I assumed maybe the cat was dead, that it had died on impact. But then, I noticed a small movement. It was breathing, but faintly. My stone heart cracked a little more as I gently wrapped the creature in my jacket and picked it up, careful not to move it too much. I looked around and let out a sigh of relief. There was a veterinary office just across the street. It was rather small and kind of dingy-looking, but it was better than nothing. I swiftly crossed the street, the cat bundled up in my arms, and ran to the vet’s office.

“Please, please stay with me. C’mon I know you can make it. Just hold on a little longer!” I pleaded with the animal. My heart pounded in my chest and I was trembling with panic. I had dealt with sick kittens, but never a severely injured cat. Would the animal even make it? I looked down and the cat looked up. Its eyes were filled with pain, but it was alive.

“Help! Someone help me out over here! This cat got hit by a car!” I shouted as I entered the office. A young man rushed out from the back room. His eyes –which were some weirdass shade of green, almost teal—were wide and worried. He gently took the cat from my arms and said,

“Thank goodness you got here when you did! I was just about to leave too! Oh, poor thing…poor sweet baby,” he murmured sadly at the feline. I assumed he was the veterinarian since he took the cat to a different room.

“I’m taking the cat in to assess the damage. Might need to perform surgery too. But, be prepared, because it might not make it. There’s a lot of blood, and there could be some severe injury to the internal organs. I’ll do what I can though, and if worst comes to worse; I’ll make sure the cat is at least comfortable. Just sit tight, I won’t charge you anything either,” he said, offering me a small, sad smile. My heart dropped at his words, and I could only hope that by some miracle the cat could be saved. The veterinarian disappeared into the back room with the cat, so I settled onto the front couch and waited.

What I first noticed was that the office wasn’t as dingy as I had first presumed. Rather, it was very clean and while the furniture looked old, there weren’t any tears or scratches. Framed pictures of dogs, cats, and various other animals covered the walls while magazines for pet owners littered the tables.

After observing the facilities, I began to dwell upon the situation. Once again, an animal’s life was in danger because of human carelessness and stupidity. If that driver had only watched where they were going, none of this would have happened. Was some distracting mundane activity really worth the life of an innocent cat? Fucker didn’t even stop; just kept driving on. Shit like this pissed me off greatly and made me hate people more than ever. Hanji was right to call me a misanthrope. I despised people and society, although I had perfected good reason. I grumbled to myself like this for a good hour before finally falling asleep.

I woke up to the sensation of being shaken. I opened my eyes groggily, glaring up at the culprit, and saw it was just that vet with the strange eyes shaking my shoulder. He looked like absolute shit to be honest. His clothes were bloody and wrinkled; his brown hair looked like a bird’s nest. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, which easily betrayed his melancholy despite a shitty attempt at a poker face. That definitely was not good.

“Hey…how’s the cat? Did the surgeries and shit go all right?” I asked softly. He looked away, his head hanging with shame. I noticed a few small tears roll down his cheeks and emotion surged through me. Salty wetness began to form in my eyes too, and I just about had a heart attack at this unfamiliar sensation. I was the stone-cold Levi. I never cried. Fucking figures I’d end up a sap over an animal though. The veterinarian sat down next to me and rested his hand on my shoulder.

“I-I’m very sorry. There was just…too much damage. There was nothing I could do, honest. The cat died very quickly though. I made sure it wasn’t suffering. I’m so sorry…I wish I could’ve saved it…I’m so so so sorry…” By then his voice had dropped to a whimper. He looked absolutely tragic. I gently took his hand and held it. He sighed and gave my hand a squeeze in return.

I’m not sure how long we sat there in silence. We didn’t say a word or even look at each other. The only acknowledgement we gave was the occasional hand squeeze. I felt empty, as if I was a lemon that had had its juices squeezed out. I hadn’t felt so much emotion at once in years, so the experience left me feeling spent. Finally, the man spoke up.

“Hey…you’re Levi, right? The one who takes in all of the cats?”

“Yes. What, am I fucking famous or some shit?” I replied sarcastically. I wasn’t surprised my name had gotten around though, with the way people ‘coincidentally’ dumped their cats near my home. I quickly added,

“Despite what you might have heard, I’m not an animal hoarder. I’ve found homes for every single cat, so it’s not like I’m some insane cat-lady.” At that, the vet began to chuckle softly.

“Never thought you were. And  yeah, you are kinda famous around here. Everyone talks about how you always save the cats. One of my regular patients is one of your cats, in fact. Her owner’s name is…Hanji Zoe I believe? Anyways, I think it’s honorable though, what you do. Not many people would be willing to take on so much responsibility all the time. It’s good that there are kind people like you in this world.” I felt a slight blush forming on my cheeks. No one had ever complimented me for my ‘hobby’ before. This guy was like some sort of anomaly. He was that one beacon of goodness in a society made of shit. Was he a saint?

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself, Doctor –“

“Jaeger. You can just call me Eren though, if you want.” He gave me a friendly smile and wiped at the tear streak marks on his face. Next thing I knew, I was doing something completely unbelievable.

“Well then, Eren, you worked really hard tonight. The least I can do is at least treat you to breakfast or something.” I kept my face emotionless, but a blush was trying to work its way out of hiding. Eren beamed at me, his Caribbean-green eyes sparkling with joy.

“Thanks! I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically what happens when Levi and Eren go get food, and then they get closer, and blah blah read to find out. Also, Hanji gets introduced as well as mentions of future MobuHan, because I love them together.

Chapter 2

“So how long have you been a veterinarian?” I asked, taking another hearty bite of pancake. Denny’s may be slightly trashy, but they had killer pancakes, all buttery and fluffy. Then again, that could just be my hungry, sleep-deprived brain making shit up. Honestly, I couldn’t really tell the difference between good or bad at the moment.  
Eren was sitting across from me in the booth, slathering a generous layer of strawberry jam onto his wheat toast. His turquoise eyes (I still hadn’t decided what color they were to be honest) were rimmed with red, leftover from the tears he had shed earlier. Luckily he seemed to be in a better mood now. With a mouth full of toast he replied,

“Um, just about a year. I finished vet school not too long ago. My uncle Hannes owns that veterinary office so he hired me. I guess my inexperience is really obvious, huh?” I shook my head.

“Not at all. You handled the situation very well. The cat was just too badly injured to be saved; at least it’s out of its misery. Now, before you start blaming yourself some more, fucking chew and swallow your food. You’re spitting crumbs everywhere.”  
Eren’s eyes widened and his cheeks reddened a bit. A smile crept back onto his youthful face as he swallowed the remainder of his toast. With a coy grin he replied,

“You know, for a short, grumpy man who swears a lot, you’re actually kinda wise and compassion-ack!” I gave him a firm kick under the table for the comment about my height and glared irritably.

“One more word about my height and I’ll toss you into the garbage. And I think we established my ‘compassion’ a long time ago, when I started saving all these damn cats. My language doesn’t have anything to do with it.” 

The brat giggled a bit while wincing from the kick. Suits the little shit right.

“Well I like it, and your attitude. It makes you more….real? I don’t know, it’s kind of a refreshing kindness I guess,” he said with a thoughtful smile.

“Oi, brat, shut the fuck up with all sappy musings.” Eren’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at his new nickname.

“Brat?! I’ll have you know that I am already 24, you old man!” A playful fire burned in his eyes, challenging me with his nickname for me.

“Tsch. You’re still a baby.” 

Eren huffed and munched away at his breakfast. Seeing as how I’d temporarily won our conversational battle, I smirked and took that last bites of my pancakes, only to discover with dismay that they had turned cold. Fuck this shitty brat for making my breakfast cold. 

After fighting over the bill (I won in the end), we left the restaurant and I began escorting him home. He lived only a couple blocks away from me, as it turns out. Eren looked over at me as we walked and just kept staring. It was hella creepy, the way his teal-turquoise whatever eyes carefully analyzed me. He studied my face carefully, before his gaze began drifting over the rest of my body. 

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer,” I snapped grumpily. He jumped a little, not expecting my voice so suddenly in the quiet night.

“Ah, um sorry! Was just trying to figure out how old you are. It’s so weird; you look like you could be 40, but you also look like you could be my age.” I barked a laugh. This kid was crazy. 

“You know, I think I’m just going to let you figure that one out yourself.”

“And what about when I do figure it out? Do I get a prize?” What a child. 

“Fine, sure then. What prize do you even want? A trip to Chuck E. Cheese?” He rolled his eyes as I teasingly ruffled his hair.

“I’m probably not even that far from you in age! If I win, let me take you out on a date. Like a real one, not a midnight breakfast at Denny’s.” My eyes widened in surprise. At first I thought he was joking, until I noticed the look of intense determination on his face. Damn, the brat really was serious.

“You do know I’m a man right?” I said skeptically.

“Oh come off it Levi. After the way you held my hand earlier, I think we both know that gender won’t be an issue.” The little shit even winked. Who the hell had taught him to be so damn cheeky? 

We finally reached the door to his apartment complex. Before he went into the building, I said,

“Well Eren, you’re in luck because you might just be my type. I’ll take you up on your stupid little challenge. Guess my age correctly within the next week and I’ll let you take me on a date.”

Eren was beaming with joy. I thought I was going to be blinded by that smile. He looked like an overjoyed puppy about to go on a walk. I could almost imagine perked up dog ears on his head and a wagging tail behind him. It was kind of cute.

“Cool beans! Be ready for the best date of your life old man!” He threw me another wink before disappearing into the building. I chuckled slightly and headed on to my own place. 

As I lay on my bed, just about to fall asleep, I realized something. Tonight was probably the most emotional I had been in years. First I had almost cried, and then I had actually laughed! What the fuck was happening to me? Why did this kid I had just met have such an effect on me?   
To be honest, besides the tragedy of the cat, it had been a nice night. It had been a while since I had felt that much at ease with someone other than Hanji, who I had known for years. However, despite the surprising comfort, was it really wise to agree to something like this with Eren? I haven’t been in a relationship for five years already, and I wasn’t exactly interested in the commitment of one now. 

I groaned and buried my face in the pillow. The kid probably wouldn’t guess my age anyways, and even if he did, just one little date wouldn’t hurt. It wasn’t like he was repulsive or anything. I kept convincing myself that everything was casual and that I did not want any remotely romantic commitments. I almost believed it too, until I drifted off to sleep thinking about those stupid blue-green eyes. 

***

Later that week, I was calmly sitting in my office and filing paperwork when my door was thrown open, followed by a shrill, insane shriek of “Oh Leviiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!”

Fuck.

Hanji strode into my office, practically bouncing with excitement. They beamed and their eyes glinted with mischief. What the fuck had happened this time?

“So Levi, I was taking my kitty, Bean, to the vet the other day and I spoke to a very interesting person. And you know what? This interesting person was VERY interested in you! Care to explain why you are so cozy and familiar with Dr. Eren Jaeger? And what’s this little date game you two have going on? C’mon Levi you have to tell me!” they rambled. Hanji them proceeded to sit right on my desk, their ass smushing my paperwork. My boss or not, I was very much prepared to strangle them right there. 

“First of all, get off my desk, shitty glasses. Second, I’m not telling you shit. My dealings with the brat are my own business and I don’t need your creepy ass nosing about in my personal affairs,” I retorted. Hanji groaned, 

“Leviiiiii, it is so my business! He’s the first person you’ve gotten all ‘personal’ with since you dated Erwin! And tell me about this game!” I rolled my eyes, pushing them off the desk. They squeaked as I straightened out the papers.

“I thought we agreed not to mention Erwin ever again. Also, there is nothing between me and Jaeger. We aren’t getting “personal” or whatever other fucking euphemism. We tried to save a cat and then want to Denny’s. That’s it. And the game…I said I’d let him take me out if he guesses my age by the end of the week. He probably won’t. Look Hanji I don’t want or need a relationship. I’m fine with just my cats.”

Hanji stood up and ruffled my hair. I was quick to smack their hand away. They rolled their eyes and said,

“Levi, cats are great, but you need a human companion. Just give this kid a chance, okay? It’ll be good for you. Obviously you two have a common interest. Plus, if you get closer with him, then I can get closer with him. And if I get closer with him, then I can ask him to be my wingman and hook me up with is adorable coworker, Moblit.”

I stared at them. “You devious motherfucker. Stop using me for your own gain.” Hanji simply giggled. 

“Hey now, it’s a win-win situation. You get the cutie with green eyes; I get the other cutie. We’ll have double-dates and foursomes.”

I promptly kicked Hanji out of my office. 

***

Every fucking day Eren kept calling me. Apparently Hanji had given him my number, that fucking four eyes. Now, I had to deal with annoying calls during meetings and short text messages saying shit like “how’s your day, Levi” or “Are you between 28-30?” It literally just did not stop. I didn’t reply to a single one, of course. 

Yet, despite my lack of response, the brat still kept on calling. It was getting ridiculous. The ringing phone constantly woke the new cats, and it was a pain in the butt to get them to calm down again; once cats are awake, there’s no going back. (I forgot to mention that earlier in the week I had picked up a couple more strays, a male and female. Both were grey tabbies who looked young, about 8 months old, so I assumed they were from the same litter. They were a rambunctious pair.)

Finally I decided to take initiative and tell Eren to fuck off in person. The kittens needed a checkup anyways. Maybe if I was manipulative enough I’d convince him to give the check up for free due to the distress his incessant calls gave me. I put the cats in the carrier and walked to the veterinary office. The stench of fur, medicine, and animals assaulted my nostrils as I pushed through the doorway. It was a busy day; multiple pet owners were seated on the worn couches, holding their pets close.   
Eren walked out from one of the back rooms, talking to a client who was holding a guinea pig. He looked up and noticed me, and fuck, his eyes lit up like it was Christmas. Why the hell was this brat so elated to see me? He quickly sent the client on their way and jogged over to me. 

“Levi! I was wondering when I’d get to see you around here. I’m assuming you have more cats? Or maybe you just missed me that much.” At the last part he winked, flashing me a cheeky grin like the little shit he is.

“In case you were too fucking blind to notice, I’m carrying a pet carrier so yes I have cats. Two 8 month olds to be exact. Can we get a checkup as soon as possible? I have shit to do.” I said tersely. He nodded, looking a little crestfallen at my coldness. I felt a little twinge of guilt surprisingly. I forgot that he had met me when I was more…emotional, and less of an asshole. He hadn’t seen me yet in my normal mode. 

Eren led me into one of the checkup rooms and helped me get the cats out of their cages. As he checked their vitals and such he murmured, “You seem a bit angry. Did I do something?” I sighed and replied, 

“Yes brat. Yes you fucking did. You’ve been calling me and texting me nonstop, interrupting my meetings and waking up the cats. It’s annoying as fuck.”

“Oh….I’m sorry I didn’t realize I was being that awfully annoying. I just wanted to figure out your age though, you know? I want to get to know you more.” I snorted. 

“Oh kid, you really don’t know shit. Just stop with this stupid game anyways. I don’t even want a relationship.” But my words were wasted because currently Eren was too preoccupied with the cats and his own thoughts. He probably hadn’t even heard me. 

“32!!!!” he exclaimed suddenly, making me jump a bit, “you’re 32 years old Levi!” Oh for fuck’s sake.

“Who the hell told you?” I snapped. He blushed nervously and laughed. 

“Well, Hanji kind of dropped some hints and I finally figured it out. You aren’t that much older than me then. Does this mean I can take you out?”

“Wha-? Hell no. Did you not just hear me?” I sputtered. His face fell and I swear tears started to gather in the corners of his ridiculous eyes. Oh shit. 

“But you promised Levi! I guessed right so now I get to take you to dinner. C’mon, I’m not asking for marriage, just one date. Just one. If we want to take it further, then hell yes I’m down with that. If not, then I guess we won’t. Just please, let me treat you,” he begged. His eyes looked down on me, glistening with desperation. I could slowly feel myself succumbing to his stupid please, all because of those weird eyes and pouting lips.

“Fuck….well, fucking fuck. Shit fine then stop looking at me like a kicked puppy. I’ll let you take me out, but just once. After that, don’t ask me for shit like that again, kay?”

He lit up like a firecracker, grinning from ear to ear as he pet the kittens. 

“I swear Levi, you will not regret this. I’ll make sure this will be the best date you’ve ever had,” he vowed. We’ll see kid. We’ll see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for my super slow updates. In the end I decided to make this multi-chapter, though I don't know how long it will be. For June and July I will be in a different country with limited internet, so I dont think I'll be updating then. Also, thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! It makes me so happy to know that people are actually reading this crap :) Thanks for the support ^^ Also, if you want you can follow my blog at clueless-belarus.tumblr.com


End file.
